Solid state lighting fixtures refer to lighting fixtures that generate light using light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) or other solid state light emitters. There is a growing interest in the use of solid state lighting fixtures for a wide variety of applications due to their high energy efficiency as compared to traditional incandescent light sources and even as compared to fluorescent lighting. Solid state lighting fixtures are now available that exhibit very high efficiency levels (e.g., almost an order of magnitude more efficient than incandescent lighting), excellent color rendering properties, and lifetimes of as much as 20,000 hours, which is an order of magnitude greater than most conventional incandescent light bulbs.
Solid state lighting fixtures typically are powered by a direct current (“DC”) electrical signal. Accordingly, most solid state lighting fixtures include an integrated power conversion circuit that converts the alternating current (“AC”) electrical signal that is provided in most homes and buildings into a DC electrical signal. Additionally, as excessive heat can significantly reduce the expected lifetime of a solid state lighting fixture, most such fixtures include various heat sinking structures. The power conversion circuitry and heat sink structures may increase the cost of solid state lighting fixtures. For these and other reasons, most solid state lighting fixtures are more expensive than corresponding incandescent and fluorescent lighting fixtures. Accordingly, there is interest in reducing the costs of manufacturing and installing solid state lighting fixtures.